Notice It's Your Move Olshey! Your Job "Should" Be on The LINE!

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by kjironman1, Jan 19, 2021.

  1. MickZagger

    MickZagger Well-Known Member

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    Tanking landed us Lillard. We were eager to get rid of veteran players and rebuild. We traded away Gerald Wallace to Nets who were trying to build around Deron Williams. They gave us a lightly protected pick and boom we got Lillard.

    I’m not saying we should go full rebuild mode. But I wouldn’t mind trying add a young potential star before they blossom type deal like we did with Rasheed.

    I don’t know. Something needs to be done. Lillards prime is dwindling.
     
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  2. hoopsjock

    hoopsjock Well-Known Member

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    Well, I wouldn't have wasted one of our two-ways on Blevins and would've used the other one on someone like Mason Jones or JaeSean Tate who are both playing decent for Houston right now.

    But since I'd be assuming the current situation I'd do this:

    Fire Stotts immediately.

    Call Jerry Stackhouse and if I liked what he said I'd hire him but that would likely be for next year. Chris Beard, David Vanterpool, Ime Udoka, and Becky Hammon would also get calls for interviews but I guess would be stuck with Tibbets until the end of the season. I'd bring in Earl Watson as lead defensive assistant coach and maybe even make him interim head coach as long as he knew he wasn't guaranteed that position next year.

    Next I'd sign Brandon Knight to a vet minimum. Not the greatest option but there are slim pickings for PG's in free agency. Since Nurk isn't getting his bonus we have just enough room to sign someone.

    I'd cut Blevins plus it looks like the NBA is about to add a third 2-way spot so I'd try to sign 3 of Jonah Bolden, Omari Spellman, Jaylen Hoard, Zhaire Smith, or Khyri Thomas.

    From there just try and tread water until we get our main guys healthy. I think with a better structured offense players like Ant would be more comfortable. With the right tweaks and health later in the season I think we'd be more equipped for playoff success than in previous years.

    I've been all about trades in the past but I don't think there are many deals with the pieces I'd inherit to make those worth it.
     
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  3. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    No. My post was not about asset desirability. It was about CBA rules.

    Olshey built a really good roster this offseason. He shouldnt be getting blame.
     
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  4. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    They should've been trying to implement a better style from the get-go.

    I'm simply talking about improvements that should be valued no matter the roster, such as defensive positioning, defensive rotations, consistent effort, timely adjustments, ball movement, more productive set design utilizing guys like DJJ more as cutters instead of spot-up shooters. This isnt reliant on his 3pt shot, he shot the same in Miami last year and was still rated as the best cutter in the league according to synergy. Why cant Stotts use him as more than a 3pt shooter? That says something about Stotts to me, not DJJ.

    With Nurkic and C.J. out, we need to ratchet up the defensive pressure to create more easy fastbreak buckets, especially with a bench personnel that has the pieces to do so and struggles in the halfcourt.

    We also need to make each player more of a viable threat to help Dame out instead of putting all the responsibility on him. That means coming up with new set designs that arent solely reliant on catch-and-shoot 3s or players attacking off the dribble from the perimeter.

    We're a different team without C.J. stotts needs to adapt and coach to his personnel, as well as help the team improve their weaknesses that arent personnel-dependant.

    We dont have the luxury of CJ and Nurkic now, so we cant settle for stagnant halfcourt offense and hope that Anfernee Simon's bails us out then complain about him not getting it done because he's not C.J. while Stotts is coaching as if he is. We need to be more creative in manufacturing easy buckets and utilizing players better through our system (i.e. DJJ as a cutter more and a shooter less, Giles as a playmaker for the bench unit, Simons not being tasked to create something out of nothing against a set defense, etc.) However, Stotts system has always been to rely on C.J. and Dame to make everything happen. If he's the issue genius that every claims he is, he should be able to do more than that.

    I also don't think Dame is as unreachable as you think he is. I've heard quite the opposite. I've seen Dame throw multiple lobs this year. If Stotts is too afraid to coach Dame then that's another reason why he shouldn't be our coach.

    You say we cant fix the issues players had without them playing. Are we not playing any more games this season?

    There's some things out of Stotts control that we'll be hurt be hurt by due to injuries. But I've laid out multiple things here that he can control with C.J. and Nurkic out.

    We play Memphis next. They're 7-6 despite missing Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. for the majority of the season. Injuries dont mean a coach cant coach.
     
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  5. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    The thing is this started a while back. Not completely Stotts and not completely Olshey. Lets take not moving Whiteside at the trade deadline last year for instance? The Two Way to Blevins is just weird? Refusing to fill a roster spot when the team needs a PG? 2016 is still having an effect! Lets take it a step further. 9 years with Stotts at this point? Really?
    I think the only way you get rid of Stotts is to get rid of Olshey.
    Probably would differ from your "Fire Stotts Immediately" stance and look to end of season only because I'n not convinced Tibbets is going to bring anything different. Not saying you are wrong just maybe a slower path? The positive thing about firing Stotts now might make the search a bit more open and the coaching search could be better in the long run?
    Treading water is what is going to happen. Unless we see improvement from Hood, Ant, Trent and Giles. I'm going to be pulling for these guys in particular. If they do improve and the team does stay above .500 this team could excel in the final month and be playing well at the end of the season. That makes them dangerous. Just not dangerous to a team like the Lakers.
     
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  6. wizenheimer

    wizenheimer Well-Known Member

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    I wish somebody would answer this directly since people keep claiming Portland has room based upon a Bobby Marks tweet, but, here goes again....

    my contention is that Nurk's bonuses are considered unlikely bonuses this year and don't count against the cap. So there's nothing to subtract from the cap and create the room for a vet miniimum. That's because likely/unlikely bonuses reset every off-season depending on whether the player hit the marks that previous season. Nurjic didn't hit the marks for his bonuses last season since he only played 8 games. That's why they are unlikely bonuses this year

    * "All performance incentives are re-evaluated at the start of each season to determine whether they should be classified as likely or not likely to be achieved3"

    http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q74

    now, It's certainly possible I'm missing something in the CBA and could be wrong. But I really wish somebody would clarify this since people keep suggesting signing a veteran would not put Portland over the tax line
     
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  7. e_blazer

    e_blazer Rip City Fan

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    I think that you are reading this correctly. The question is, are there now performance incentives that were deemed at the start of the season as likely to be achieved, and were counted towards the cap, that are no longer likely to be met because Nurk is missing at least two months of the season? If so, then that money should be able to be removed from the cap.
     
  8. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    Spotrac pretty clearly indicates that the salary they used for Nurk in summing to the $131,999,148 they have for us (627,852 below the tax line) is just his base salary, which does not include the 1.25M games/wins bonus.

    I think you are correct that Marks was incorrect in suggesting that Nurk's injury impacted our tax position at all.
     
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  9. wizenheimer

    wizenheimer Well-Known Member

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    thanks...I'll check Spotrac

    ok, just did and Spotrac has the same number for Nurkic that BB Insiders does
     
  10. e_blazer

    e_blazer Rip City Fan

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    For what little it may be worth, that's the way it looks to me too. Nurk could have made an additional $1,250,000 if he appeared in 70 games and the Blazers were to wins 50 games. Since he didn't play in 70 games last season and the Blazers didn't win that many games, the league would have considered them unlikely to be achieved and wouldn't count them towards team salary, which is what Spotrac and other sources show. There aren't any savings to be had. It's either pay the tax (doubt Olshey is willing to do that), make a trade that doesn't increase team salary above the tax line, or live with the current roster with, maybe, the addition of a 2-way contract.
     
  11. tester551

    tester551 Well-Known Member

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    When I went to Sportrac - I don't see where it specifically states that it DOES NOT include the bonuses.

    ***EDIT*** I found it: https://www.spotrac.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/jusuf-nurkic-15368/
     
  12. hoopsjock

    hoopsjock Well-Known Member

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    Wiz, there's actually a simple answer. When a team calculates going into the tax and is hard capped they have to operate as if all bonuses are going to be paid out. If they didn't if a player earned their unlikely bonus they'd be stuck in the tax when they didn't want to be. Since it's for sure unachievable now, the Blazers can safely use that money. It still counts against the hard cap though the entire season, just not anything else.

    So when Neil said we were $600,000 below the tax that included his bonus. Since he didn't earn it last year it was deemed unlikely but if he doesn't get hurt he may have so they can't operate as it being unlikely. So 1.25 million plus 0.6 equals just enough to sign a minimum contract which counts approximately $1.6 million against the cap.
     
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  13. hoopsjock

    hoopsjock Well-Known Member

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    Basketball Insiders has our number at $130.75.

    Luxury tax is $132.63.

    My math backs that up. What am I missing here that people are arguing those numbers?

    Just enough room to sign someone.
     
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  14. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    Two ways don't count against the total at all by the end of the season? Can they have 3 of them and not effect that total?
     
  15. hoopsjock

    hoopsjock Well-Known Member

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    Correct, they do NOT count against the cap. That's why it's perplexing to not use both or to waste one. Currently there are only two spots but it looks like they're gonna change the roster sizes due to so many players missing games.
     
  16. Tince

    Tince Well-Known Member

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    Too bad Olshey didn't know about those rules when he built the roster.
     
  17. hoopsjock

    hoopsjock Well-Known Member

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    OMG lol
     
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  18. PtldPlatypus

    PtldPlatypus Let's go Baby Blazers! Staff Member Global Moderator Moderator

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    I just realized my error here. Spotrac has 131,999,148 in a "taxable salaries" spot, and 130,749,148 in a separate "cap allocations" spot. Soooo....once again I was wrong and @hoopsjock was right.
     
  19. kjironman1

    kjironman1 Well-Known Member

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    That isn't uncommon. I don't know of anyone anywhere that knows cap better than Hoops. I gave up even questioning him.
     
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  20. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    I think it’s funny that people are wasting time arguing over whether there’s room to sign someone or not, as if we had a proactive GM.
     
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